Eastern Conn. pulls away from PSU Mens Lacrosse

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior Maxim Fantl (West
Hartford, Conn.) scored five goals and sophomore Michael Sullinger
(Brookfield, Conn.) added three Sunday afternoon as Eastern
Connecticut State University held off Plymouth State University,
12-8, in a Little East Conference men’s lacrosse game at
Panther Field.

The Warriors picked up their fourth straight victory, all on the
road, to improve their record to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the Little
East. PSU, playing its home opener after beginning the season
with seven straight road games, suffered its fourth straight
setback and dipped to 2-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Fantl, who was the Little East Conference men’s soccer player
of the year last fall, tallied a pair of first-quarter goals as the
two teams traded scoring strikes in the first 10 minutes of the
game. Sullinger notched his first of the game to give the
visitors a 3-2 lead after one quarter, and Eastern out-scored PSU
2-1 in a low-scoring second frame to take a 5-3 advantage at
halftime.

The Warriors pulled away in the third quarter with four unanswered
goals, the first three by Fantl. Junior Grant Albertson (New
Canaan, Conn.), Eastern’s leading scorer who had been quiet
for nearly three quarters, scored his 25th of the season
with one second left in the third to give the Warriors a 9-3 lead
through three quarters.

PSU made a comeback attempt midway through the final stanza with
three unanswered goals by senior Matt Johansmeyer
(Shelburne Falls, Mass.), junior Andrew Eriksen
(Beverly, Mass.) and senior Tim Hadley (New
London, N.H./Kearsarge), but Eastern held off the Panther rally to
earn the victory.

Eastern dominated the face-offs, winning all six in the
first quarter, 9-of-10 in the first half, and 18-of-23 for the
game. Junior Eric Vasil (Southington, Conn.) won 15 of his 16
face-offs and collected a game-high six ground balls to lead the
way. The Warriors picked up 32 ground balls to 24 for
the Panthers.

Freshman goalie Donald Berube (Tewksbury, Mass.) made nine saves
for Eastern in the first 55 minutes, and classmate Drew Deane
(Vernon, Conn.) came on for the final five minutes and recorded two
saves. PSU junior Kevin Hayes (Beverly,
Mass.) made 12 saves in the Panther goal.

PSU is back in action Wednesday at Panther Field with a 4:00 p.m.
non-conference clash against Lasell Colllege. Eastern Conn.
visits Trinity College for a non-conference match-up also Wednesday
at 4:00 p.m.